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Central aid to Kandhamal victims

Special Correspondent

Prime Minister assures package; says Centre has taken serious notice of the happenings

— Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

CALM AFTER THE STORM: An exhausted woman and her son from Kandhamal take a nap at a camp for riot victims in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has assured a package for the families of those who lost their lives or have been incapacitated in the recent violence in Orissa.

The assistance will be given under the recently finalised scheme for victims of communal violence.

Dr. Singh gave the assurance to a delegation from Kerala that met him on the Orissa issue here on Monday.

Patnaik’s assurance

The Prime Minister told the six-member delegation, led by the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy, that the Centre had taken a “very serious notice” of the happenings in Orissa. He said he had spoken to Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who had assured him of firm action in the matter.

Assistance to the people who had suffered in the incidents, including those rendered destitute and homeless, and support for repair of houses and buildings damaged, including orphanages, would be provided from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

The delegation, including Members of Parliament, also met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister Shivraj Patil. It would also visit the affected districts with Mr. Patil shortly.

A group of eminent citizens has sought President Pratibha Patil’s intervention in the matter, impressing upon the Central government the need to rush adequate security forces, including contingents of the armed forces if required, to restore law and order and governance in Kandhamal district.

The delegation, who met Ms. Patil, expressed the fear that any further delay may be catastrophic for the small Christian community in the State, peace in Orissa and secular character of the country.

“We appeal for the restoration of law and order. But the root cause must also be addressed. The groups which favour a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ have made Orissa their laboratory, as they earlier did in Gujarat. The so-called saffronisation of the State has been the subject of well-documented academic and socio-political studies,” a citizen’s memorandum submitted to the President said, while calling upon her to enforce the rule of law on the Sangh Parivar organisations which blatantly flaunted their divisive agenda.

Copies of the citizens’ memorandum were also sent to Dr. Singh, Mr. Shivraj Patil, Ms. Sonia Gandhi and Mr. Patnaik.

The delegation comprised Mahesh Bhatt (film director), Abraham Mathai (Maharashtra Minority Commission), Archbishop Vincent Cancesso (Delhi), Raphael Cheenath (Cuttack/Bhubaneshwar), and Babu Joseph (CBCI -- Catholic Bishops Conference of India) among others.

Another CBCI delegation met Defence Minister A.K. Antony asking the Centre to take adequate steps to provide relief to the victims.

Expressing ‘pain’ over the happenings in Orissa, Mr. Antony is said to have told the delegation that the Centre was ‘sympathetic’ towards the victims and that they were in touch with the State government.

The delegation comprised Sharat Chandra Nayak (Archbishop of Berhampur), Vincent Cencesso, Raphael Cheenath and Babu Joseph. The CBCI has also decided to move the Orissa High Court to seek an “impartial” investigation into the killing and subsequent violence in Kandhamal.

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